Nut and lock washer assembly



MalCh 17, 1953 R. E. PECKHAM 2,631,633

NUT AND LOCK WASHER ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 18, 1947 mlwulmmll /f ET-IE- I ze Patented Mar. 17, 1953 NUT AND LOCK WASHER ASSEMBLY Roy E. Peckham, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Robin Products Company, East Detroit, Mich.

Application' December 18,17347, Serial No. I$2,502

Thisinvention relates to a nut and lock washer assembly and-moreV particularly to a locking device adapted tovbe secured to a fastening mem- Lber'suchvas a nut. y p l I An object of the invention is to provide a lock washer which is permanently fixed to the under surface of a nut and which is provided with locking teeth positioned radially inwardly from the outer periphery-*of the nut or the lock washer.

Another object of the invention is to provide an annular wall by counter-sinking the clamping face 'of the nut and to form the lock washer with deformable means for fixedly engaging the wall to retain the lock washer to the nut before the nut is applied in securing position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lock washer having an annular outer peripheral body portion with radially and inwardly extending flanges bent axially out of the plane of the body portion, a portion of the flanges being deformable forfastening the lock washer to the nut and another portion of the flanges forming a locking means between the nut and a surface with which the nut is to be used.

A further object of the invention is to countersink an annular wall in the clamping face of a v nut with a bottom wall axially spaced from the clamping face, fastening a lock washer to the annular wall and providing locking fingers projecting from opposite sides of the lock washer` for holding engagement between the bottom wall and the surface with which the nut is associated.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the lock washer;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the washer shown in position prior to securing the lock washer to a fastener, shown as a nut;

Fig. 3 is a View corresponding to Fig. 2 but showing the lock washer secured to the nut; and

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional View showing the nut applied to securing means with the lock washer in holding position.

YWhen securing means, such as a nut and bolt, are used for securing parts together, it is desirable to provide a locking means between the nut and a surface to which the nut is applied to prevent turning of the nut relative to the part on the bolt. This has usually been done by the applicaof the nut and often the operator is required to hold the bolt with one handv and apply the washer and nut with the other hand. I have found that by securing the lock washer to the nut in its proper location for assembly on the bolt with the nut, the operation of assembly is facilitated and a saving of time is obtained during final assembly.

In the form of the invention selected for illus- A`vtraining the invention, I have shown'a lock washer tion of the well known lock washer between the surface of the part and the nut. However, the procedure in assembly requires the manipulation of a separate lock washer prior to assembly Ill having an outer annular body portion I2 and a plurality of inwardly and radially extending fingers I4 and I6 terminating short of the axis of the body portion I0 providinga central aperture through which a bolt or other securing means may project. This Washer I0 is preferably stamped from sheet metal and as illustrated in Fig. l, the fingers are originally formed fiat and subsequently bent so as to project beyond opposite sides of the body portion of the washer, as shown in Fig. 2. The fingers I4 will behereinafter referred to gripping fingers and the fingers I6 will be referred to as locking fingers. They are shown alternately spaced circumferentially around the inner opening through the lock washer.

The fastening member is shown as a nut I8 having internal screw threads 20. The clamping surface 22 of the nut I8 is counterbored providing a bottom wall 24 and an annular wall 2G having an outwardly and inwardly extended tapered wall 28. This provides a countersunk opening adjacent the threaded portion of the nut for the reception of the gripping `fingers I4 of the lock washer. The fingers I4 and I6 are adapted to t within the counterbore, as illustrated in Fig. 2,V

and by the application of pressure the fingers are bent upwardly and inwardly with the fingers I4 coming into holding engagement with the tapered wall 28, as shown in Fig. 3. As will be noted, the bending operation also positions the fingers I6 into a vertical position with the free ends of the fingers I6 in close proximity to the bottom wall 24. The assembled nut and lock washer are then ready to be assembled on another fastening member, such as a bolt, for securing parts together as shown in Fig. 4.

'I'he lingers are bent with the free ends and bottom thereof at a slight angle relative to the under surface of the nut so that turning of the nut in a direction opposite to turning for application the edges of the :lingers are forced into the bottom wall of the nut and the surface to which the nut is applied, holding the nut in its applied location.

At the intersection of the lingers I4 and I6 with the body portion l2 of the washer, there is a reversely bent radius 30 which extends a portion of the ngers below the body of the washer and the major portion above the body of the washer. Since the fingers I4 and I6 are circumferentially spaced and the upper and lower edges of the nngers are at an angle to the lower surface of the nut, the opposite edges of the lingers are permitted to be embedded into the nut and surface of the part being secured upon -reverse turning movement of the nut.

It will be understood that while I have shown the invention as applied to a nut, the novellock washer may be secured to other fastening parts, such as snap fasteners and 'thelike Various changes including the size., Ashape:andiarrangement of parts may be made without departing lfrom the spirit of my invention, and it is not my intention to limit its scope other than by the terms of the appended claim.

I claim:

A llock washer assembly including` a rotary clamping,r member having `a counter-bore in its clamping surface dening an undercut annular wall extending diagonally outwardlyV and in# Wardly and a bottom wall in a plane parallel to the 'clamping surface 'of the rotary clamping member but spacedltherefr-om, and a lock washer formed fronrlat spring stock including an annular body porti-on having inwardly extending ngers, a portion of said fingers being .bent for holding 'engagement with lthe diagonally extending wall of the counter-bore, and another portion of said fingers 'being bent in a plane normal to .the plane of said washer and projecting beyond the opposite sides of said washer, the outer free ends of said last named fingers being in Yengagemeritwith the bttomwall'of the counterbore, the opposite end dges of said fingers being in a plane at an angle to the plane of the bottom wall and the plane of the clamping surface.

ROY E. PECKHAM.

Y FREFERENCES CITED :.Theollowingreferences are of record in the file of this Ipatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain of 19,01 

